Copyholder



April 13, 1943. E. LQELLIOTT COPY HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 4,1941 mm EMT wT 3 zlu Y L L D E. L. ELLIOTT COPY HOLDER April 13, 1943.

Filed Aug. 4, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 USE Posrrzon Foxfire I Pearl-IonDWA-RD LELLIOTT) Patented Apr. 13, 1943 UNETE STA'ES COPYHOLDER EdwardL. Elliott, Arlington, Va., assignor to Federal Business MachinesCorporation, Washington, l). 0., a. corporation of Delaware ApplicationAugust 4, 1941, Serial No. 405,429

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in copy holders.

Copy holders for use in conjunction with typewriters and other keyboardmachines make use of a copy holding member of some sort, and a lineindicating member, one of which is adapted to be moved, with respect tothe other, by a suitable manual control, by successive increments equalto the line-spacing of the copy. On coming to the end of a page of copy,the movable member is returned to initial position, a suitable controlbeing provided for this purpose.

One disadvantage of prior copy holders is that the controls are usuallylocated rather far away from the keyboard, and moreover in some casesrequire complicated or unusual manipulation.

One object of the present invention i the provision of a copy holder ofth class described. in which the operating controls are brought close tothe keyboard in a convenient relation with respect thereto and in whichthe manual movement required for the controls is of the same generalcharacter as the movements involved in operating the typewriter, etc.,no manipulation of a character different from that involved intypewriting being required. Another object is the provision of a copyholder of folding type in which the standard and copy holding memberassembly is detachable from and attachable to the base assembly by asimple lifting movement, the controls on the base assembly. upon suchattachment, automatically engaging the mechanism of said assemblywithout requiring any extra manipulation.

The apparatus of the invention includes a base plate, on which thetypewriter or other machine rests, carrying at its rear edge a verticalstandard (dismountable for folding) on which is guidcd telescopically acopy holding member, adapted to be raised, a line at a time. In the bestembodiment of the invention, the raising means includes a lever, pivotedto the base plate for reciprocation in a horizontal plane, and having atits rear end a cam operating the raising mechanism proper of the copyholding member. The lever extends. to a point adjacent the front edge ofth typewriter frame, for manipulation by a sidewise push of the fingersin a way analogous to the carriage shift.

At a front corner of the base plate, near a corner of the typewriterframe, is a release key, connected through suitable linkage with meansin the standard for returning the copy holding member to initialposition when desired. The linkage includes a thin rod extending belowthe typewriter to near the base of the standard, a bell crank at suchpoint converting horizonta movement of the rod to a vertical movementsuch as to operate the release means.

The copy holder controls are virtually an extension of the keyboarditself, and maximum con- 'venience is assured. These advantages are notobtained at the expense of any lessening in convenience elsewhere in theapparatus, as in folding it; in fact the invention affords a new andsimplified provision for folding.

By virtue of the cam and bell crank construction, provision fordismounting of the standard (and the copy holding member thereon) ismark edly simplified. The lower end of the standard is adapted to belocked in position by suitable supporting means, on the rear part of thebase plate, in such manner that it can simply be lifted up and turnedsidewise for taking down th copy holder.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown, more or lessdiagrammatically, one example of a specific embodiment of apparatuswithin the purview of the invention. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of th copy holder, in position for use,

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation corresponding to Fig.

Fig. 3 is a. view in front elevation, with some parts broken away forclarity, of the standard and copy holding member by themselves,

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are fragmentary views to an enlarged scale-of a portionof Fig. 3, showing the arrangement of parts for raising and lowering thecopy holding member, and

Fig. 7 is a schematic View in front elevation of the rear portion of thecopy holder, to show how the standard and copy holding member can befolded down.

Referring to the drawings, and especially to Fig. l, th copy holderincludes a base plate ID, of sheet metal, plastic or the like, uponwhich rest the rear feet of a typewriter l l or other machine with whichthe copy holder is intended for use. The base plate can take a widevariety of sizes or shapes depending on particular requirements, and isheld down firmly by the machine itself. The plate extends somewhatbeyond the typewriter at front and rear, as shown in Fig. 2.

At the rear of the base plate is secured a pair of rails l2, grooved atl3, for reception, of laterally spaced pairs of plus it and [5 (Figs. 2and 3) projecting from a beam l6, upon which is mounted the copy holdingassembly. This assembly includes a standard member I l, of panel shapewith channeled edges I8 and a flanged bottom l9 secured to beam I 5 asby screw 20. A copy holder member 2| with channeled edges 22 .isprovided, in telescopic sliding relation to the standard member, andhaving a spring clip 23 at its upper end to hold notebooks, paper orother copy, not shown. A stationary line indicating device 63 isattached to the standard member.

The means for raising the panel 2| includes a lift bar 24, guided in abracket 25 near its upper end and in a clip 26 near its lower end; aspring 2 serving to hold the bar in the clip and also to assist gravityin moving the bar down after each stroke. The upper end of the barengages a pair of jacks 28 and 29, perforated to make an oversize butrather close fit with a lift rod 30 guided in a perforate flange 3|adjacent the top of standard I! and secured to the top of the copyholding member, at 32.

At the front end of the base plate is secured a slotted guide 33,through which extends the front end of a lever 34, pivoted at 35 to thebase plate, in the rear portion thereof, and carrying a cam 36, engaginga roller 31 on the lower end of the lift bar 24. To raise the copyholding member, the lever is moved to the left (Fig. 1). A spring 38returns the lever to its normal position, and an adjustable bumper stop39 determines the throw of the lever and thereby the vertical movementof the member 2| for each swing of the lever. The range of movementshown is suflicient to accommodate almost any copy spacing, includingone, two and three line typewriter spacing and the spacing ofstenographers notebooks.

The relative lever arm lengths shown in Fig. 1, that is the ratio of thedistance between pivot 35 to the front end of the lever, to the distanceof the pivot to the cam, are quite convenient, but they can be changedif desired.

The horizontal lever movement as described is in practice exceptionallyconvenient for the operator. It is analogous to the operation involvedin returning the typewriter carriage at the end of each line. Ifdesired, cam 36 and spring 38 can be reversed right to left so that thelever movement is in the same direction as the carriage return movement.

In use, the disposition of the apparatus parts is initially as inFig. 1. On reaching the end of each line of the copy, the operatorswings the lever to the left, moving the copy holding member up by oneline width. When it is desired to return the apparatus to originalposition, the operator presses a key 40, pivoted to the end of the guide33, and connected through a rod 4| with a bell crank 42, mounted on abracket 43 near the rear guides l2 and engaging the foot 44 of a releaserod 45. The release rod is frictionally held and guided by means of aclip 46 and bracket 25 as shown. On pushing key 49, rod 45 moves up(Fig. 6) to release the jacks 28, 29 from the lift rod 30, whereby tolet member 2| drop to the position shown in Fig. 1.

Jack 29 is pivoted loosely at 49 to the upper end of lifting bar 24,while jack 28 has a fork end 56 guided on the bar. With the lever 34 tothe right, in the position shown in Fig. 1, the disposition of the jacksis as shown in Fig. 4. On moving lever 34 to the left, jack 29 engagesand lifts rod 30, raising member 2| as is apparent from Fig. the rodsimply slides through the bore of jack 26. When lever 34 moves back tothe right, jack 28 keeps the rod from moving down, while the right endof jack 29 drops freely, resuming the position shown in Fig. 5. Thesetting of bumper 39 determines the vertical increment of movement ofcopy holding member 2| on each shift of lever 34. When release rod 45 isoperated, jacks 28 and 29 are raised sufficiently to let rod 30 slidethrough them (Fig. 6). To lower the copy holding member it is onlynecessary to press key 40 momentarily; it does not have to be held down.

Rod 30 operates in a pneumatic cylinder 5|, spring mounted at 52, tocushion the fall of member 2|. In the lowest position, the edge ofmember 2| strikes a felt bumper 53, on foot 44 to a threaded block 56 onthe rear of the standard (Fig. 2).

To fold down the standard and copy holder assemblage after use, screw 55is unscrewed from the block, and the standard is moved to the right(Figs. 1 and 7) until pins l4 come opposite a corresponding pair ofnotches 51 (only the front notch being shown in the figures) whereby theright side of the standard can be lifted up and the standard at the sametime rotated toward the left, until it reaches the position markedfolded position in Fig. '7. Then screw 55 is tightened up to hold theapparatus in closed position; the screw engaging a small depression 58(Fig. 2) in the back of member l1. Stop 59 limits movement of thestandard and copy holding member assembly, to the right. In setting upthe assembly, the described operations are reversed. The groove l3 inrear guide |2 terminates short of the left end, leaving a solid portion66 (Fig. l) which serves as a stop limiting the movement of the assemblytoward the left, when the apparatus is set up.

To disengage this assembly entirely from the base, it is merelynecessary to move the assembly to the intermediate position shown inFig. '7 and then keep sliding it to the right until pins l5 comeopposite notches 51, whereupon the assembly can be lifted away from thebase.

A dog 6|, near the upper part of standard IT, engages a perforation 62in one of channels 22 when the copy holding member 2| reaches the top ofits range of movement, to prevent accidental disengagement. To removethe copy holding member nut 32 is removed and dog 6| is pressed with amatch or the like, whereupon the copy holding member can be lifted clearof the standard.

What I claim is:

1. In a copy holder, a base adapted for association with a machine andincluding a portion which extends below the lower surface of the machineto a point adjacent the front of the machine, an upwardly extendingstandard member in fixed relation to the rear portion of the base, amember in vertically movable relation with respect to the standardmember, one of said members being provided with copy holding means andthe other with line indicating means, means operable from a pointadjacent the lower end of the standard member, for moving the movablemember with respect to the standard member, an operating memberreciprocable laterally in a horizontal plane along the front of themachine to operate said moving means and extending adjacent the basebelow the level of the machine to a point adjacent the front of thebase, and means secured to said frontwardly extending portion of thebase, for adjustably limiting the extent of reciprocatory movement ofthe reciprocable operating member.

2. In a copy holder, a base adapted to underlie a machine, an upwardlyextending standard member in fixed relation to the rear portion of thebase, a member in vertically movable relation with respect to thestandard member, one of said members being provided with copy holdingmeans and the other with line indicating means, means operable from apoint adjacent the lower end of the standard member, for lifting themovable member with respect'to the standard member,

means operable from a point adjacent the lower end of the standardmember for releasing the movable member and causing it to drop,operating means laterally reciprocable in a horizontal plane, inoperative relation to said lifting means and having a part for manualmanipulation along the front of the machine, said operating meansextending below the level of the machine to a point adjacent and belowthe front end thereof, and an operating means in operative relation tosaid releasing means, extending below the level of the machine to apoint adjacent the front thereof.

3. In a copy holder, a base elongated in a front to rear direction, anupwardly extending standard member in fixed relation to the rear portionof the base, a copy holding member carried on the standard member forvertical movement with respect thereto, a lift member carried by thestandard member in vertically reciprocable relation with respectthereto, lifting and holding means engaging the copy holding member andthe lift member having an operating portion located adjacent said base,and constructed and arranged for lifting the copy holding member onupward movement of the lift member and for retaining the copy holdingmember against falling at the end of such movement, reciprocableoperating means engaging said operating portion of the lift member,substantially centrally located on the base and extending adjacent saidbase from rear to front, constructed and arranged upon each operatingmovement of said operating means to lift the lift member, reciprocablemeans in the standard member, adapted in one position of reciprocationto release said lifting and holding means to cause the copy holdingmember to drop to bottom position, and manually operable means operablyengaging said reciprocable release means, and extending along the basefrom rear to front.

4. In a copy holder, a base, an upwardly extending standard member infixed relation to the rear portion of the base, a member in verticallymovable relation to the standard member, one of said members beingprovided with copy holding means and the other with line indicatingmeans, moving means operable from a point adjacent the lower end of thestandard member, for moving the movable member with respect to thestandard member by successive increments, a manually op erable leveradjacent the base in pivotal relation thereto for movement in ahorizontal plane, at a point such that the arm of the lever to the rearof the pivot is shorter than the arm to the front of the pivot andextending to a point adjacent the front of the base, and operating meanson the rear part of the lever engaging said moving means, so constructedand arranged that movement of the lever through a relatively largedistance operates said mOVing means a relatively small distance.

5. In a copy holder, a base, an upwardly extending standard member infixed relation to the rear portion of the base, a member in verticallymovable relation to the standard member, one of said members beingprovided with copy holding means and the other with line indicatingmeans, means operable from a point adjacent the lower end of thestandard member, for moving the movable member with respect to thestandard member, a manually operable lever adjacent the base in pivotalrelation thereto for movement in a horizontal plane and extending to apoint adjacent the front of the base, and a cam on the rear portion ofthe lever engaging said moving means, the

cam surface being such that movement of the lever in one directioncauses lifting of the moving means.

6. In a copy holder, a base, an upwardly extending standard member infixed relation to the rear portion of the base, a movable member invertically movable relation to the standard member, one of said membersbeing provided with copy holding means and the other with lineindicating means, moving means operable from a point adjacent the lowerend of the standard member, for moving the movable member with respectto the standard member, a manually operable lever adjacent the base inpivotal relation thereto for movement in a horizontal plane, at a pointsuch that the arm of the lever to the rear of the pivot is shorter thanthe arm to the front of the pivot and extending to a point adjacent thefront of the base, operating means on the rear part of the leverengaging said moving means, so constructed that movement of the rear armof the lever in one direction through a relatively large distance liftsthe moving means a smaller distance, means for holding the movablemember against downward movement, and release means for said holdingmeans, operable from a point near the front of the base adjacent thefront end of said lever.

7. In a copy holder, a base, guide means at the rear thereof extendingtransversely thereof, a standard member guided in said guide means andmovable and rotatable with respect to the base between two positions oneof which is normal vertical use position and the other of which ishorizontal position, a movable member carried by and in verticallymovable relation to the standard member, one of said members beingprovided with copy holding means and the other with line indicatingmeans, moving means for the movable member, located in the standardmember and extending down to near the level of the base and adapted onoperation to move the movable member with respect to the standardmember, horizontally reciprocable manually controlled operating meansextending from operative contact with the moving means, to the front ofthe base, and so constituted that on moving the standard member tovertical use position the moving means is brought directly intooperative relation to said horizontally reciprocable manually controlledoperating means.

8. In a copy holder of the type described having an upwardly extendingfixed standard member, a movable copy holding member in verticallymovable guided relation with respect thereto, a lift rod secured to thecopy holding member, a lift bar in vertically reciprocable relation tothe standard member, and jack means in cooperative relation between thelift bar and the lift rod and. so constructed and arranged that onupward movement of the lift bar the lift rod is moved up and on downwardmovement of the lift bar the lift rod is retained in its elevatedposition by the jack means; the improvement comprising means normallyout of operative engagement with the jack means but adapted on manualoperation to engage the jack means and cause the jack means to releasethe lift rod, means for retaining said engaging means in engagingposition while the lift rod drops, and means in fixed relation to thecopy holding member, operative to return said engaging means toinoperative position upon dropping of the lift rod and copy holdingmember to bottom position.

EDWARD L. ELLIOTT.

